Learning Center Assistant

La Esperanza offers a variety of opportunities for voluntary work. I worked alongside groups coming from other countries who had raised funds for construction work on the schools that La Esperanza supports. As a retiree, although some of the work was physically demanding, it was ery satisfying. In previous years I have helped with the administration of the organisation and with the maintenance of properties used by the charity to house volunteers. For me, the high points include the satisfaction of seeing improvements made in the supported schools and the provision of facilities which would otherwise not exist (the building of a computer room, for example). One challenge was interpreting the instructions of the Nicaraguan builders involved in the projects!

This NGO really is a model for how non-profits should be. They really are concerned with making a difference in Granada, and give volunteers an opportunity to make childrens lives better.

In the three months I have been with La Esperanza, I got to work in the office, helping the director Pauline, and the office employees, Karen and Donald. I got to see how they work and how dedicated they are to not only serving the community, but also making sure the volunteers have a good experience here as well. I found Pauline to be very responsive to volunteer concerns, and the staff to work hard to assure the safety and comfort of the volunteers.

Granada as a base is great, because it is very comfortable, albeit hot, city, with most conveniences. The communities that La Esperanza partners with however, are some of the poorest in the Americas, and working with them means working with some of the most impoverished communities in the world. They are super grateful, however and love that we are helping.

As I didn't directly work with the children day to day, I cannot speak much about the schooling side of it, accept to say that it is challenging. The students are pretty rambunctious and playful, and I have been told that teachers really need to engage them, in order to get them to stay still.

My final thought are that, remember to consider that deciding to volunteer means a so much to these children. It is not for everyone, and teaching children can be tough. I can tell you though, that this is a first rate organization. They honestly want to help make the world a better place, and genuinely are do so! Come make a difference with La Esperanza! You won't regret it.

I worked for La Esperanza Granada for two months and had a great time. I was a teacher´s assistant in one of the schools the organization is working in. That means I was in class with the teacher helping her with the kids, making them do their tasks and explain to them if they don´t understand. At La Esperanza, you can either be one of these teacher´s assistants or a part of the English team, that are having only English classes with classes in different schools.

I really like the work, but it´s also very frustrating sometimes when the kids don´t want to work and are just running around instead. It´s hard to see a progress, at least when you are here for only a few months, but our work is very important. Because there are very many kids in each class it´s hard for the teacher to pay attention to all children, and that´s why the work of the volunteers is important.

Usually you work 10 am - 3.15 pm Monday - Thursday/Friday and you have the weekend of. We have been travelling around a lot on the weekends. There are four volunteer houses of different size, and up to 15 persons in each house. You can either stay in a dorm with three more persons, or in private/double rooms. Although the houses are not very clean it´s been very nice staying here. They have a great atmosphere and it´s very nice living with the other volunteers. There is a lot going on in the spare time and Granada is a very nice place to live, it never gets boring.

Overall La Eseranza Granada is a very good organization, and I recommend you to work for them! I would recommend you to stay for at least two or three months, it takes some time to get into the work and it´s also better for the children with long term volunteers, to get to know them better and so that you can actually make a difference!

Waking up with the sun, you know everyday will be an exhilarating experience. Each day gives you an opportunity to engage intimately with the community you live in and with the communities you work with.

By using the public transportation to get to schools, eating locally, and walking everywhere (literally), you get a glimpse into what the locals experience daily. Then while working with the rural school children you get a chance to influence the countries youth and address some of the inequalities present in world. In the evening, you can relax at your volunteer home or at any of the other volunteer houses since by the end of your second night, you will have made many, many friends within La Esperanza Granada. You also have the option of staying with a local family (screened by LEG). I highly recommend this option, as it gives you insight into the culture, the daily struggles of a typical Nicaragua, and is simply a form of solidarity.

La Esperanza Granada is a volunteer program located in Granada, Nicaragua that focuses on childhood education. I am quick to recommend it to all who ask about my volunteer experiences. It is a relatively small organization when compared to some of the volunteer organizations out there, but I believe its advantages are numerous when compared with larger organizations (an experience I have also had). When going into a volunteer situation it is my belief that your purpose there is to give to the community with your time and your skills. You should not have to pay large up front monthly fees to a large, centralized organization who then distributes it to its office within the country you are going to.

At La Esperanza Granada you pay a small administration fee ($20) as well as your weekly rent for a volunteer house ($20/week). On top of this you pay for your own living expenses and any additional travel fees. You can live off of a very small amount of money if you are willing to eat like the locals and buy your food at the market. The bottom line is that it is affordable and reasonable. Your money stays right there in the country.

One advantage of this organization is the lack of overseas staff and focus on keeping the jobs within the community. La Esparanza hires local university students to work at the placements. These "ayudantes" are helpful and passionate people. They know the schools they work at because they are connected to the community. My ayudante lived in the same neighborhood as the school I worked in. La Esparanza helps pay their way through university, which is something that they would have difficulty doing on their own. The office staff is also mostly comprised of locals.

When you volunteer with La Esperanza, you can be sure that you will being doing useful work. The education system in Nicaragua is one that offers no individual help to children who need it. Education is only free up to grade 6. Most kids don't get any higher education. At my school you could see the decline in number of students per grade moving from 3rd to 6th grade. The surrounding neighborhood is extremely poor and their families encourage them them to get jobs as soon as they are old enough to work. This in turn, continues the cycle of poverty and makes it very hard to break out of. As a volunteer you provide one on one tutoring to kids who have been left behind. Those who are struggling with recognizing vowels in the second grade or still have no concept of the meaning of numbers in third grade. You are encouraging them when others have given up and are helping students have a shot at getting an education.

La Esperanza Granada is truely a grassroots organization. You are there to help them. Keep in mind that going into the program it is highly recommended that you have an intermediate level of spanish. If you don't you can also get affordable spanish lessons. Another cool thing about the organization is that a large portion of the volunteers are native spanish speakers as well. If you want a truely immersive experience, there are always people around you who would rather speak in spanish than english. If you are aiming for fluency in the spanish language, this is the program for you. Of course the longer you spend there, the more you will learn and the larger of an impact you will have on the community. There is no greater reward than having kids running up to you in school giving you hugs and seeing their faces light up when they see you.

Taking part in this organization has really opened my eyes. I don't take anything for granted anymore and I see the world from another perspective. Meeting local people and talking to them really helps you realize that your way of life is certainly not the only way. The people there are genuine, kind, and helpful. Although the rural areas surrounding Granada have their share of crime, you have a very reasonable level of safety. You never go to your placement alone. You are always around other volunteers. The houses are located in the city in large, safe collonial houses. As there is a pretty sizable tourism industry in Granada there is definately the infrastructure and modern conveniences comparable to at home. You will get from this experience what you decide to put in. If you come with an open mind and a sense of adventure, you will have a life changing experience.